500 paraded in Kano over drug, thuggery
The police in Kano State yesterday paraded over 500 suspected miscreants (Yandaba), including political thugs, drug sellers and users in the state.
The suspects were arrested at various locations during the raid of criminal hideouts across the state capital by the operatives of the force in its effort to rid the state of criminals ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
The spokesman of the command, DSP Haruna Abdullahi, who paraded the suspects at the police headquarters, said a large cache of weapons and hard drugs were recovered from them.
“In an effort to sanitize and pave way for peaceful general elections in the State, the Command had carried out vigorous raids of criminal hideouts and black spots, arrest of known and identified criminals and recover large cache of weapons and hard drugs (Kwaya).
“Notably, about 500 suspected members of gang of Yan daba, political thugs, drug sellers and users were arrested.
“Large quantities of machetes, weapons including sticks, swords, and charms were recovered from the suspects. Also recovered are various intoxicating substances such as diazaphern, valium 5, Indian hemp, solution, suck and die, potwin injection among others,” he said.
He said the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution immediately.
He described the arrest as a continuation of the command’s security and safety strategy towards ensuring hitch-free forthcoming general elections in the State. A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the remand of Ifeanyi Chukwu Azike, a former manager of Ecobank Nigeria, over allegations of fraud.
The accused was alleged to have defrauded the bank’s customers to the tune of N411 million.
Azike, who was handed over to the police by the investigative unit of the bank, was arraigned before Justice Ayotunde Faji by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force.
The defendant was dragged before the court on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences, false representation and fraud. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge upon his arraignment.
Following his no guilty plea, the police prosecutor, ASP Daniel Apochi, urged the court to remand him in prison pending the commencement of trial.
Consequently, Justice Faji ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison till March 8 when his bail application would be heard.
In the charge, police alleged that between 2016 and 2017, Azike fraudulently obtained N150 million from a customer of Ecobank Nigeria under false pretence of buying Federal Government Treasury Bill for him in his bank.
the consent of the bank, fraudulently converted the sum of N411 million belonging to the bank to his personal use.